Hello Everyone!I've been reading many of your posts concerning moving to and from the Island. My wife and I have been to PEI on three separate occasions and fell in love with it on our first visit. We live in southern Ontario and are tired of the rat race, the highways, the pollution, I could go on. We are very excited about the possibility of moving, and think of it every day. However we are also very nervous about the move as well. I think our biggest concern is employment. I have read varying accounts on the forum about some people having to leave because of no employment and on the other hand some people moving to PEI and finding employment.

Myself, I am a self employed blacksmith and would want to start up my own shop in PEI.Is there a good industrial supply network on the island? And raw material suppliers? I am not sure if I would be looking at doing work for islanders, architectural work like railings and gates, or doing work for export/tourists like art and furniture etc.

Any thoughts and comments would be helpful.

PS sorry about the rambling first post, this is something new to me

Hello Hammer.

Blacksmithing is an interesting trade. and you seem to be willing to look at both traditional and non traditional types of work. You will find that there is a large artisan crowd in PEI, so the ornamental art/furniture may very well have merit. You might want to connect with some of the craft people and associations to find more information.

You might also want to contact some of the major home builders or building materials dealers with regards to ornamental railings. They may have a need, or suggest some leads for you.

Otherwise, enjoy reading the posts, and the many diverse opinions. Ultimately, it is what you make it!

So, I've bitten the bullet and bought a small place about 30 minutes out of Charlottetown and hope to be on your fair Island sometime in early June.It's been interesting reading all the stories on how people have found the move to PEI.I currently live out in the wilds of Manitoba, so a windchill of -30C is something I'm become accustomed to . So far, I've spent 10 years in ON and 6 years in MB since leaving the UK, and the only family ties I have in Canada are with my daughter who, for all my warts, pimples etc, still lives with me So, I've always been considered an outsider, and firmly believe, life is what you make of it, so I'm looking forward to moving and making some new friends.Just got to find me some kind of job to pay the bills and I'll be all set

Have a safe trip, you'll enjoy it here I'm a CFA from BC, and although it took some time to "fit in", I believe it's the same anywhere. Once you get to know these fine people, you just may feel at home, as we do.

Hello all, This is my first post after reading through all of yours. My husband & I fell in love with Charlottetown years ago and 2 kids later we're finally in the position that we want to make the move & raise our kids there. With live in rural British Columbia and although we are surrounded by mountains & beauty. I am from here & my husband is from Toronto. We loved the size of Charlottetown and the culture. We have driven through every single province west to east & back again of our fine country and countless cities & towns looking for the one that pulled us & Charlottetown won us over.

We are thinking about moving there without jobs, which seems a little crazy given we have two little kids, but we have had little luck applying for work from across the country. Is the job market as awful as we have heard?

Are there some neighborhoods that are better or worse than others for houses and schools?

We don't know a single soul there and I was surprised by the "from away" attitude and I wonder if my family will be as welcomed.

Hello all, This is my first post after reading through all of yours. My husband & I fell in love with Charlottetown years ago and 2 kids later we're finally in the position that we want to make the move & raise our kids there. With live in rural British Columbia and although we are surrounded by mountains & beauty. I am from here & my husband is from Toronto. We loved the size of Charlottetown and the culture. We have driven through every single province west to east & back again of our fine country and countless cities & towns looking for the one that pulled us & Charlottetown won us over.

We are thinking about moving there without jobs, which seems a little crazy given we have two little kids, but we have had little luck applying for work from across the country. Is the job market as awful as we have heard?

Are there some neighborhoods that are better or worse than others for houses and schools?

We don't know a single soul there and I was surprised by the "from away" attitude and I wonder if my family will be as welcomed.

Thank you for your time & feedback!

I'm not sure how serious you are, as most people with kids and without jobs usually move west and not east. The CFA attitude, IMO is nothing more than a myth but there are good and not so good neighborhoods and I would suggest using a good local Realtor who would know the difference.

Hello all, This is my first post after reading through all of yours. My husband & I fell in love with Charlottetown years ago and 2 kids later we're finally in the position that we want to make the move & raise our kids there. With live in rural British Columbia and although we are surrounded by mountains & beauty. I am from here & my husband is from Toronto. We loved the size of Charlottetown and the culture. We have driven through every single province west to east & back again of our fine country and countless cities & towns looking for the one that pulled us & Charlottetown won us over.

We are thinking about moving there without jobs, which seems a little crazy given we have two little kids, but we have had little luck applying for work from across the country. Is the job market as awful as we have heard?

Are there some neighborhoods that are better or worse than others for houses and schools?

We don't know a single soul there and I was surprised by the "from away" attitude and I wonder if my family will be as welcomed.

Thank you for your time & feedback!

The job market in Charlottetown isn't as bad as the rest of the island. But wages on PEI are lower than other provinces. What kind of jobs would you be looking for?

House prices are more expensive in Charlottetown than surrounding areas. I personally like Sherwood and downtown Charlottetown is nice. Hillsborough Park is a cheaper area for houses but it doesn't have the best reputation in the city.